Should Your Girl Come With You To Vote?

31 Oct 2018

Showing up to the polls on Election Day—whether you’re voting for
the next President of the United States or for your local city
council person—is obviously incredibly important, and something you
can (and should!) share with your girl.

“Some parents think voting is way over kids’ heads—that politics has
nothing to do with their world and something they will be bored by,”
says Girl Scouts’ Developmental Psychologist, Dr. Andrea Bastiani
Archibald, “but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Voting is
about using your voice to stand up for what you believe in. I’m pretty
sure that all of us as parents, regardless of our political leanings,
want our children to grow up knowing that their thoughts and opinions
matter. Plus, the candidates who are voted into office will be shaping
your girl’s future—from her educational options today to her financial
realities as she becomes an adult.”

So yes! You should take your child with you when you vote, but you
should also talk to her about what’s happening, and why they should be
excited to take part. Follow these easy suggestions to help your girl
become an excited, engaged citizen—even before she’s old enough to
cast her own ballot!

1. Make it personal

Before you head to the polls, talk to your girl about the candidates
and how whomever is voted into office will have an effect on the
things she cares about most. Does she love science and learning about
outer space? Help her learn about the candidates’ feelings on the
space program and science funding. If she’s into drama and dance, talk
about how the candidates have a say in our national arts funding and
see if either one has made statements about that. Is she really into
animals? You can look up their stances on animal welfare. Does your
girl dream of having her own business someday? Check out the
candidate’s plans to support small business owners. Similarly, if she
started a recycling club at school, discuss how the candidates feel
about different environmental issues and how they say they’d address
them if given the chance. You get the idea. Your girl doesn’t have to
have a full background on foreign affairs (although, kudos if she
does!) to be personally invested in an election and its candidates.

2. Let her know why voting is special

Having a say in how your government is run is an incredibly powerful
thing and an opportunity none of us should waste. Here in the United
States, every citizen over the age of 18 has the right to vote—but
that isn’t the case in all countries, and it wasn’t even the case here
until pretty recently. Talk to your daughter about the fact that when
our country was founded, only land owners (in other words: mainly
wealthy, white men) could vote. Women didn’t gain the right to vote
until 1920, and even then, it was incredibly difficult if not
impossible for many African American, Latina, Asian American, and
Native American women to vote until the 1960s. That means “group
decisions” about issues that affected all the people in the country
were being made without the whole group being involved. It’s like if
your girl’s teacher was deciding what game all the children would play
at recess, but only let the four tallest boys in the class vote. Even
the youngest of children can see how that’s not fair, and why everyone
should have their say.

3. Prep her for the polls

Walk her through what voting is really like. Let her know that there
might be a lot of people in line and that you might have to wait a
while to take your turn. Ask her to think about a book or quiet toy
she’d like to bring with her so she doesn’t get bored! And make sure
she knows that she can’t tell other people in line who they should or
should not vote for—despite how excited she might be about her
candidate. That’s considered “electioneering,” (in other words, trying
to persuade people to vote for a certain candidate) which is not
allowed within 100 feet of a polling place.

4. Take her with you!

On the big day, go ahead and take your girl with you to vote.
Children are allowed to join their parents at the polls in all 50
states as well as in Washington, D.C., but some states have certain
rules about how many children are permitted, so it’s a good idea to
call your local election commission ahead of time if you’re planning
on bringing more than one or two children. When you get to your
confidential voting booth, fill out the ballot yourself, then have
your daughter either pull the lever, push the button, or help feed
your ballot into the machine (however it’s done in your area!).
Playing an active role in your vote will make a more lasting
impression on her and help her feel more like an active participant in
the election.

5. Follow up for her future

Don’t let the teaching moment end at the polling booth! Make sure to
let your girl know how the election turned out. Tell her how many
people in your area showed up to vote, and how many people in your
state—she’ll love knowing she was a part of something so big and
important, especially if there weren’t many people at the polls when
you showed up! If your favorite candidate won, sit down with her and
write a card of congratulations to the winner. If your favorite
candidate lost, talk to her about how voting is important anyway,
because the government needs to know that there are many different
opinions in our country. Then have your daughter write a letter to her
candidate telling them how much she believes in them and that she
still supports their ideas—and which ones in particular, even if they
didn’t win the election. The point is to let your girl know that her
voice counts even if she’s not old enough to vote.